Summary of Destined for War Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?: Conversation Starters

By Paul Mani

Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap? by Graham Allison: Conversation Starters

China has arrived as a superpower and America seems to have a hard time grasping this reality. The US and China have to learn the skill to make adjustments to this global power shift. The law of Thucydides's Trap says that "when a rising power threatens to displace a ruling one, violence is the likeliest result." History shows that this situation has happened sixteen times and twelve of these led to war. China cannot be stopped anymore while America refuses to budge.

Destined for War is cited by the New York Times as Notable Book of the Year. It is included in the 2018 Lionel Gelber Prize shortlist. It is also named by The Financial Times (London) as Best Book of the Year.

A Brief Look Inside:

EVERY GOOD BOOK CONTAINS A WORLD FAR DEEPER

than the surface of its pages. The characters and their world come alive,

and the characters and its world still live on.

Conversation Starters is peppered with questions designed to

bring us beneath the surface of the page

and invite us into the world that lives on.

These questions can be used to create hours of conversation:

Foster a deeper understanding of the book

Promote an atmosphere of discussion for groups

Assist in the study of the book, either individually or corporately

Explore unseen realms of the book as never seen before

Disclaimer: This book you are about to enjoy is an independent companion resource of the original book, enhancing your experience. If you have not yet purchased a copy of the original book, please do before purchasing these unofficial Conversation Starters.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: BH
• Release date: Apr 3, 2019

Book preview

Introducing Destined for War

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ESTINED FOR WAR: CAN AMERICA AND CHINA ESCAPE THUCYDIDES’S TRAP? is a book written by Graham Allison. It discusses how the United States and China are about to collide in a war they don't want to see happen. The author reasons these two countries are following the law of Thucydides's Trap which says that when a rising power threatens to displace a ruling one, violence is the likeliest result. History shows that this situation has happened sixteen times and twelve of these led to war. China cannot be stopped anymore while America refuses to budge. The leaders of these two countries, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, have made promises to their people that they will make their countries great again. Citing this as the seventeenth case of the Thucydides's Trap, the author thinks the situation does not look hopeful. Many things can easily trigger a major war— cyberattack, a trade conflict, the Korean standoff, a sea mishap, all these could lead to it. Harvard professor Allison Graham explains his thesis by using historical cases and current events. He suggests pointers that could prevent war from